2012 Chevy Volt |
My Volt uses around $40-45.00 worth of electricity a month, and in the summer that is more than offset by my solar array. So for 5 months I am literally driving for free on sun power. In the winter months when we have less sun in Maine my electric bill goes as high as $70, with most of that going to power the car. In Maine over 30% of our electric supply comes from renewable sources, so the bottom line is that the carbon footprint of my car is negligible. That is the main reason I own it.
Tor those that may be unfamiliar with the Chevy Volt, it is unique in the industry because it is an electric vehicle with a built-in "range extender". My model has an electric range of approximately 37 miles under ideal conditions. When the battery runs down a four-cylinder gas generator kicks in that maintains a battery level allowing the vehicle to continue driving at around 40 miles per gallon. Since most of my driving is local, I rarely use gas. The vehicle does turn on the gasoline engine generator in the winter occasionally to help warm battery when temperatures drop below 20°F.
I recently test drove the 2020 model Volt. The vehicle has been completely redesigned although it it looks rather similar from the outside - with some sexy improvements to the style lines, the interior is quite different. There are so many changes in its design that it is essentially a different vehicle entirely. The driving experience was even more sporty than my model because the 0 to 30 acceleration time has been shortened quite a bit, so it literally surges forward and burns rubber if you tromp the accelerator. This model has a rated 52 mile electric range and gets better gas mileage when in "range extender" mode.
2020 Chevy Bolt |
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